The Cooper Site: A Stratified Folsom Bison Kill in Oklahoma

Vocabulary flashcards reviewing key concepts, stratigraphy, artifacts, and findings from the Cooper Site Folsom bison kill excavation.

Cooper Site (34HP45)

A stratified Folsom-age bison kill site situated along the floodplain margin of the North Canadian (Beaver) River in northwestern Oklahoma containing three distinct kill episodes.

Folsom Age

A Paleoindian period dating between $10,200$ and $10,800\text{ years BP}$, characterized by fluted projectile points and specialized bison hunting.

Upper Kill Deposit

The uppermost bison kill layer measuring $5.5\text{ m E-W} \times 4.0\text{ m N-S}$, representing an estimated 29 animals and containing 12 complete or fragmented Folsom points.

Middle Kill Deposit

A bison kill layer located approximately $25\text{ cm}$ beneath the upper deposit, containing an estimated 29 animals, seven Folsom points made of Edwards Plateau chert, and trampled bones.

Lower Kill Deposit

The earliest kill layer at the Cooper site, containing a minimum of 20 articulated bison skeletons, seven Folsom points, and a ritualistically painted bison skull.

Painted Bison Skull

A bison skull recovered from the lower bone bed featuring a red zigzag line (thought to be hematite) on its frontal bone, representing a rare Paleoindian non-mortuary ritual artifact.

Trampled Bones

Bones exhibiting roughly oval fractures about the size of a bison's hoof, caused by live animals stepping on exposed bone beds during subsequent kill events.

Slump Block

Eroded and collapsed sediments along the truncated bluff face that contained intermixed artifacts and bones from at least 30 bison across all three kill episodes.

Arroyo Trap

A communal hunting technique where animals are driven into a steep-sided arroyo or gully to prevent escape during slaughter.

Cooper Site Projectile Points

Folsom projectile points recovered from the site made from various raw lithic materials including Alibates agatized dolomite, Edwards Plateau chert, Niobrara jasper, and Owl Creek chert.